Explosions in Tehran after Western attack
The sirens sounded almost at the same time in two capitals separated by thousands of kilometers. As plumes of smoke rose over Tehran, Israel closed its airspace and activated emergency protocols in hospitals. A coordinated military operation between Washington and Tel Aviv had begun.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated in a video posted on social networks that Washington had begun “major combat operations in Iran.”
The first explosion, according to witnesses, occurred near the offices of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 86-year-old supreme leader who has not appeared in public for days. Iranian authorities immediately cut off road access to his complex in the center of the capital.
Goals and warnings
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the targets included the Iranian military, government symbols and intelligence targets. Israeli Minister Israel Katz justified it as an action to “eliminate threats”, without giving further details.
The regional reaction was immediate: Iraq closed its airspace, Iran did the same and suspended mobile telephone services. But the question everyone is asking is what Tehran will do now.
They had already warned that US military personnel and their bases throughout the region would be targets of any retaliation.
Context is key here. This comes as the United States has assembled a vast war fleet in the area to push for a nuclear deal. Trump seeks restrictions on Iran’s atomic program taking advantage of domestic discontent following national protests.
But Tehran maintains its right to enrich uranium and refuses to discuss other thorny issues: its long-range missile program or support for armed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
For now there are no official reports of victims. Iranian state television confirmed the explosions without assigning causes. Meanwhile, Israeli sirens continued to sound as a reminder that this escalation could be far from over.
